"I know, I'm a monster." He snuggled a little bit closer to her, picking her up so she was snug to his side. "I know you can handle yourself. I don't want you to need me around, but I'd like very much if you didn't stop wanting me around."
He loved her, and he knew that if she left, he'd be due for some heartbreak, but he was all right with that. He had her then, and if the older Jack was any indication, for another decade at least.